CBS branding to be dropped from UK channels.

[RegularCapital]

Either way the timing coincides very much with the arrival of Paramount+.

Likely that it also coincides with the end of a 10-year deal signed in 2012, when both CBS and Chello had different owners to the ones they have today.

The UK channels were rebranded under the "CBS" moniker in late 2009, it was 2012 when it was rolled out across Europe in another deal. Though, the time length of the deals weren't mentioned.

https://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/cbs-chann...98.article
https://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2012/08/...ross-emea/

I've looked on Companies House and looked at both companies involved in the CBS/AMC partnership (AMC Networks (UK) Ltd and CBS Channels UK Ltd), and there's no sign of parting ways, its probably likely that Paramount (was recently ViacomCBS), is now strict with the usage of their branding by other parties.

[Gallunach]

What are they doing with the +1 channels of Horror and CBS Reality that currently exist

[UKTViewer]

I can understand the decision to remove the CBS branding given the rollout of Paramount+, however I completely agree that having Horror Xtra without a regular Horror channel doesn't make any sense at all, unless there's been some information missed out i.e. perhaps Horror Channel is becoming Horror and Horror Channel +1 is becoming Horror Xtra? Just a thought. Are there any official announcements we can see about the rebrand? All I can find so far is the RXTV Info article.

[Rex]

I can understand the decision to remove the CBS branding given the rollout of Paramount+, however I completely agree that having Horror Xtra without a regular Horror channel doesn't make any sense at all, unless there's been some information missed out i.e. perhaps Horror Channel is becoming Horror and Horror Channel +1 is becoming Horror Xtra? Just a thought. Are there any official announcements we can see about the rebrand? All I can find so far is the RXTV Info article.

No those are the actual channel rebrands. Horror is being rebranded to Legend, CBS Justice is being removed in favour of Horror Xtra.

It explains why Horror was given channel 41 on Freeview whilst CBS Justice got a comparatively worse channel placement. Horror Xtra really doesn't make sense when the main Horror channel is being rebranded to a different name altogether. Not only that but the new channel has had its hours slashed as well (5pm - 3am).

[Brekkie]

Is something set to timeshare with that then?

[Zaccy_Dee]

Kinda odd that according to Virgin's online guide shows no content change on CBS Justice an Drama on the day the de-CBSification is supposed to happen.

[Rex]

Is something set to timeshare with that then?

I'm afraid not - they have nothing else using that space as it stands.

[This is UTV]

Still no indication on what the on demand catch up service will be called once it loses CBS branding?

The current "CBS Catchup Channels UK" has always sounded rather clunky.

[JAS84]

Probably Legend Justice Catch Up or Justice Legend Catch Up? Horror for some reason has it's own app, Horror Bites.

[Zaccy_Dee]

Probably Legend Justice Catch Up or Justice Legend Catch Up? Horror for some reason has it's own app, Horror Bites.

Those sound worse than what we have now.

[Brekkie]

Still no indication on what the on demand catch up service will be called once it loses CBS branding?



The current "CBS Catchup Channels UK" has always sounded rather clunky.

Might it be scrapped and folded into Paramount+? 

Ratings wise the latest monthly figures for the channels from BARB give us a shares of:

CBS Drama - 0.18%
CBS Justice - 0.26%
CBS Reality - 0.64%
CBS Reality on Local TV - 0.06%
Horror Channel - 0.31%

The non-linear element is given a zero rating for PCs/Tablets/Smartphones with no data for non-linear via a TV set.

[JAS84]

Still no indication on what the on demand catch up service will be called once it loses CBS branding?

The current "CBS Catchup Channels UK" has always sounded rather clunky.

Might it be scrapped and folded into Paramount+?

That won't be happening. Remember, AMC run these channels, not Paramount.

[Keith]

Still no indication on what the on demand catch up service will be called once it loses CBS branding?



The current "CBS Catchup Channels UK" has always sounded rather clunky.

Might it be scrapped and folded into Paramount+? 

Ratings wise the latest monthly figures for the channels from BARB give us a shares of:

CBS Drama - 0.18%
CBS Justice - 0.26%
CBS Reality - 0.64%
CBS Reality on Local TV - 0.06%
Horror Channel - 0.31%

The non-linear element is given a zero rating for PCs/Tablets/Smartphones with no data for non-linear via a TV set.

As per previous post these new channel names feel like a potential stepping stone of going from CBS to Channel 5 branded. We've previously seen the merry-go-round of Spike > 5Spike > Paramount Network > 5Action.

With this in mind I wonder if eventually the new names will be tweaked to become 5Legends and 5Reality. If this were to happen then it would be easy to imagine CBS Catchup and Horror Bites merging into My5.

For the time being though if the CBS Catchup service remains under the existing name it'll look odd. If it were renamed 'Paramount Catchup' that would cause confusion with their premium streaming service. Putting their originals into Paramount+ and closing the existing catchups sounds plausible. I doubt anyone will miss not being able to use catch up to watch Judge Judy or Diagnosis Murder.

[Brekkie]

Could fold the catchup service into My5 even without a rebrand then - don't they already have some third party content?

[tmf9]

With this in mind I wonder if eventually the new names will be tweaked to become 5Legends and 5Reality. If this were to happen then it would be easy to imagine CBS Catchup and Horror Bites merging into My5.

The CBS-AMC partnership is being disbanded (in the UK at least). The channels will become wholly owned by AMC and so there will be no C5 related rebrands.